1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus having a protect function to protect against copying of an information medium such as a credit card and a license certificate in which personal information is recorded.
2. Description of the Related Art
Personal information such as a card number, his or her facial photograph and full name is recorded in an information medium such as a credit card, a driver's license, an insurance certificate and a passport. Such an information medium is also used to identify a person's status. For example, the information medium is copied and a unique image indicating personal information is printed on a recording sheet. This recording sheet is used to confirm the person's identity.
The unique image is recorded as is in the recording sheet in which the information medium is copied. Therefore, if a third person obtains this recording sheet, personal information may be leaked, resulting in a possibility that the personal information may be misused.
Japanese Patent Laid Open No. 2001-231619 discloses a holder capable of masking personal information recorded on an information medium. When the information medium contained in the holder is copied, the image is printed with the unique image in a predetermined position hidden.
On the other hand, an image processing apparatus for copying an information medium restricts copying of a document by judging whether or not the document is copy restricted as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid Open No. 2004-245962. In this case, the copy-restricted document is a special document such as a document on which an image is printed in magnetic ink or a document on which a resonant circuit is formed.
However, the above image processing apparatus cannot identify the information medium such as a credit card as a copy-restricted document. Therefore, a unique image scanned from the surface of the information medium is copied as is. In other words, the image processing apparatus does not have a protect function to prevent personal information from leaking when the information medium is copied. In order to prevent personal information from being copied unnecessarily, a holder as mentioned above must be used, but the use of a holder is troublesome for the user.
In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide an image processing apparatus capable of preventing personal information from leaking by inhibiting a unique image indicating personal information from being printed when the information medium is copied.